The Carter Family recorded “Little Moses” in February 14, 1929, their third session for Victor. They arrived this time in Camden, New Jersey with a brand new Chevrolet, amazed at the popularity they gained during their three years in the recording business. During this session (that you can hear and download here) they recorded many of their best known songs like “I’m thinking tonight of my blue eyes”, “Sweet Fern”, “My Clinch Mountain Home”, “The Foggy Mountain Top”, “Engine 143”, etc… and the song we’re going to look more closely in this post, “Little Moses”. Sara Carter learned this “religious ballad” from an older relative, Myrtle Bayes and the song was collected in 1905 under the title “Moses in the bulrushes” in “Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri Folklore Society”. The song tells the story of the founding of baby Moses by Pharaoh’s daughter and some other famous scenes of the prophet’s life as told in the Bible book of Exodus. In his form, the song reads like a children’s Sunday school lesson and his simple melody in waltz time with his repetitive last verses in the chorus enhance this lullaby character.

Here are the lyrics:

1. Away by the river so clear,
The ladies were winding their way,
While Pharaoh’s little daughter stepped down in the water
To bathe in the cool of the day.

Before it was dark, she opened the ark
And found the sweet infant was there.
Before it was dark, she opened the ark
And found the sweet infant was there.

2. And away by the waters so blue,
The infant was lonely and sad;
She took him in pity and thought him so pretty,
And it made little Moses so glad.

She called him her own, her beautiful son,
And sent for a nurse that was near. (X2)

3. And away by the river so clear,
They carried that beautiful child,
To his own tender mother, his sister and brother,
Little Moses looked happy and smiled.

His mother, so good, done all that she could
To rear him and teach him with care. (X2)

4. And away by the sea that was red,
Little Moses, the servant of God,
While in Him confided, the sea was divided
As upwards he lifted his rod.

The Jews safely crossed while Pharaoh’s host
Was drownded in the waters and lost. (X2)

5. And away on the mountain so high,
The last one that ever did see,
While in his victorious, his hope was most glorious,
He’d soon o’er the Jordan be free.

When his labors did cease, he departed in peace,
And rested in the Heavens above. (X2)

The Carter Family’s version of “Little Moses” was covered many times during the last fifty years, from Joan Baez to Ralph Stanley… I ‘ve selected 15 recordings of the song that I enjoy and hope that you’ll enjoy too!

11 thoughts on “53 “Little Moses” by The Carter Family”

Wonderful post, as usual. I heard Bob Dylan play this song (a solo acoustic version) the first time I saw him live back in March 1992 (in Sydney Australia). It has meant a lot to me ever since. Many thanks!

Hi My dear Friend,
I recently discovered your blog, as I have started a blog dedicated to my discovery of the early blues. I’m living in Belgium, and I’m 52 years old. A whole new world has gone open for me since I discovered the traditional (African)-American music.
I’m glad I get the updates of your blog.
Cheers,
Erwin

gadaya
since megaupload got busted mediafire and blogspot(google) and all the other “untouchable straights” have gone out of their ways to appear “good”. in reality you are pirating music as defined by US law (also by your Francaise law and my Australian law). I say good on you because I want some of the stuff you are posting, especially the banjo stuff. I can get this Carter family stuff straight off original old discs but finding Ola Belle Reed ain’t so easy.
Barbie the Plucking Girl.